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21.50 An entirely deserved and wholly enjoyable big win for Spurs against an Inter side that really looked like they couldn't be bothered. As Massive Europa League nights go, that was not strong. Newcastle dug in, but it was horrible to watch and Chelsea were vile. But Spurs give us all hope. They're a treat to watch at the moment, and long may it continue. That'll be all for this liveblog, thanks for your company, I'll talk to you again soon.

FULL TIMETottenham 3 Intter Milan 0

90 min We'll have three minutes of added time.

87 min Here's Marc Melander, who has taken exception with Inter's red kit:

Random choice of kit by Internazionale - did they think it would make Spurs think their fixture v. Liverpool had been brought forward? On a more serious note I'm pleased for AVB. Despite his insistence on being a Frank Spencer tribute act he's emerged from his Heart of Darkness episode at Chelsea (est 2003) with dignity. And you won't find the words 'dignity' and 'Chelsea' in the same postcode that often. Fact.

85 min Inter seeing a bit more of the ball now, but Spurs' laudable match continues with determined pressing of the visitors all over the pitch. Bale wins it back. What a man.

81 min It's getting to the point now where Spurs probably shgould be more than 3-0 up. Holtby the latest to be presented with a passable chance at the edge of the box. His shot is well-hit but straight at Handanovic.

78 min Gareth Bale's doing lots and lots of tricks now. He's having a marvellous night. What a player to treasure for Tottenham fans. Even more so if they can remember names like Jason Dozzell, Helder Postiga and Ramon Vega.

76 min Palacio, on at half time for Juan, should score after being put through from a clever Cambiasso free kick in the middle of the pitch. Friedel's out surprisingly quickly for a man that's nearly 200 to make a decent save.

74 min Holtby on for Sigurdsson for Spurs. Ned Boulting, ITV's man on the touchline, informs me (and everyone else watching) that AVB asked Lennon and Bale if they wanted to say on. Both said yes. What a time to be alive.

72 min Freddy Guarin, on for Kovacic, is booked for diving after seemingly being fouled by Gallas.

70 min Lennon the latest in a growing line of Spurs players to test Handanovic, following a nutmeg of Chivu. Well saved by the Inter keeper, one of a very small number of their players that appears to care about this match. Jonathan Liew has spotted a show-off:

<noframe>Twitter: Jonathan Liew - Parker with a great tackle just in front of the press box. Holds the gritted-teeth pose, probably for our benefit.</noframe>

66 min Spurs break, in worrying numbers. Defoe's the man taking it forward. Bale, Lennon and Walker all joining him to his right. Defoe, bafflingly, tries to go it alone and his crowded out by Ranocchia. A waste.

64 min Livermore on for Dembele for Tottenham.

63 min Defoe testing the keeper now after a perfect reverse pass from Bale. The striker takes a minor touch to give himself a shooting chance, and the Inter keeper needs to utilise a firm hand to turn it round the post.

61 min Taxi for Chivu quite soon, I'd imagine. Bale now terrorising the Inter defence, this time getting past the centre back with ease on the right. Chivu can't get close to him and Bale shoots... just wide.

58 min This is surely an exercise in injury-prevention for Spurs now? Time for a lovely Bale for Livermore substitution? Here's Andrew Thomas:

<noframe>Twitter: Andrew Thomas - Don't know what Handanovic did to deserve this defence, but it can't have been pleasant.</noframe>

55 min This is turning into a seminal performance from Spurs. Excellent pressing sees three Spurs player around Alvarez on the right, pushing him back and forcing him to concede possession in his own half. Here's Gylfi Sigurdsson scoring Spurs' second:

53 min GOAL!! Tottenham 3 Inter 0 (Vertonghen) Too easy for Spurs, Vertonghen heading home from a Bale corner from the right more of less unopposed. That'll be all, you'd think. For tonight and probably for the tie.

51 min Still the odd hint that Inter have got something to offer going foward. Pereira takes down a bouncing ball on the left, holding off Lennon, and gets his shot away. Friedel makes an uncomfortable save.

49 min Heartening to note that Spurs have come out with most if not quite all guns blazing for this second half. Would be easy to sit back in this situation but they're pressing for more and nearly getting results. Bale delivers a perfect free kick from the right and it bounces for Vertonghen in the six yard box! He somehow fails to make contact. That should have been three.

46 min Second half go now. Football is happening. Honest.

20.52 You couldn't have wished for a much better half from Spurs, nor after two fairly horrendous games previously this evening. There's not been a bad performer in a white shirt, the attacking half of the team has been especially excellent. Inter showed that they do pose a danger on the break towards the end, but Alvarez's rotten finish suggest they're a team low on confidence. Spurs could do with another one or two, given Bale's suspension for the San Siro. See you in 15.

43 min Vertonghen the target from the corner and his looping header worries Handanovic, but once again the keeper does enough. Inter break and suddenly Alvarez is in behind! One on one with Friedel... but he's dragged it wide! Ugly miss.

41 min The tempo's up again for Spurs, they would absolutely love another before half-time. Even Assou-Ekotto looks like an attacking genius. He pings a delicious ball across goal from the left and Pereira is fortunate that his clearance goes wide rather than in.

39 min Sigurdsson, having easily one of his best games for Spurs here, tries a ground-based shot from close to the area on the left-hand side. Tricky for Handanovic, but he manages to smother it.

36 min Nearly a replay of the Bale goal! Sigurdsson again with a nice cross from the left and Bale tries the exact same glancing header, but the Inter defending is slightly better this time, Juan making life more difficult for Bale than Cambiasso did. Wide. Here's Roy Hodgson linking up with his one-time employer Massimo Moratti:

34 min Spurs blatantly taking a breather now. It's richly deserved, but they need to ensure they don't slow the pace and the pressing down to a point where Inter can nab a surprise goal before half time.

31 min Cassano looks for Rannochia on the far post, but he heads it wide.

30 min Inter force a corner, as they look for the opening to an alleyway back into this game. Really not happening for them at the moment.

28 min Inter force Spurs back this time.

27 min Spurs take the corner short and Sigurdsson picks out Vertonghen at the far post. His header looked like an attempt to put the ball across into the six yard box, but nearly drops in! Handanovic turns it over for another corner.

25 min Spurs have a corner, AND Gareth Bale's really good. Everything's looking very nice indeed in north London... Unless you support Arsenal:

<noframe>Twitter: OptaJoe - 11 - Gareth Bale has now bagged 11 goals in his last nine games for club and country. Midas.</noframe>

21 min Cassano's down with a hurty ankle after a not-too-feisty challenge by Gallas. Here's Gareth Bale heading Spurs ahead:

18 min GOAL!! Tottenham 2 Inter 0 (Sigurdsson) No less than Spurs have deserved. Another rampant attacking move, Dembele playing the crucial pass out wide to Lennon. HIs low cross is a peach and Defoe is able to shoot with feeling from 10 yards. Good save by Handanovic but the rebound falls kindly for Sigurdsson who is able to tap home from close range for his first Spurs goal at White Hart Lane.

<noframe>Twitter: Matteo Bonetti - I get the feeling Strama purposely fields crap lineups at the start to make changes at halftime which make him look genius. <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Straccioni" target="_blank">#Straccioni</a></noframe>

15 min Bale is booked for diving. It's been a while since that happened... and that means Bale is suspended for the second leg! Bale was certainly looking for the penalty, leaving his leg in on Juan as he nudged the ball forward in the and throwing himself to the ground. Probably not a penalty, but I think the booking is a touch harsh. Does that mean HE IS HUMAN? I don't really know any more. I'll stop that now.

12 min Flying start from Spurs. They're an easy team to get behind at the moment, aren't they? I find they operate rather too often in fits and starts, but this has been a pacy, incisive and delightful opening to the game for the home side. Bale shoots from 30 yards but it's straight at Handanovic. HE IS HUMAN!

8 min Inter looking very leaky at the back. Bale made the chance this time, playing in Defoe with a smart, fast pass from the left. Defoe beats Ranocchia far too easily with a simple dummy and it takes an excellent save from the advancing Handanovic to stop an Arsenal-style goal-conceding pattern.

6 min GOAL!! Tottenham 1 Inter 0 (Bale) Assou Ekotto and Sigurdsson combine to get the latter into a crossing position on the left. He delivers, White Hart Lane roars because they can see who's going to be on the end of it, Bale easily outjumps a weak Cambiasso and directs a glancing header past Handanovic in the Inter goal. HE IS NOT HUMAN!

2 min Walker and Lennon combine promisingly on the right-hand flank. Walker's able to whip a cross in, it's towards the back of the area and Bale misses the ball entirely. HE IS HUMAN!

1 min Some pre-match huddles have happened. Clive Tyldesley points out that both of tonight's managers name players older than they are. Zanetti looks significantly beter than Friedel. Inter kick off.

19.56 The teams are on their way out in North London.

19.45 That was properly grim stuff from Chelsea. Listless, tired and unthreatening against a team that had to be at their very best to reach the performance levels you'd expect of an especially well-motivated Chelsea reserve side. Benitez's side will probably have enough about them to do the necesarry back at home, but on that evidence they don't deserve to stay in this competition. Oh well, off to White Hart Lane for Spurs v Inter!

FULL TIMESTEAUA 1 CHELSEA 0

19.43 You'd think it would be Chelsea going hell for leather for an away goal now. They're not, Steaua nearly scored a second, Gardos making the most of some pathetically tentative defending to get into shooting position just outside the box. Easy for Cech, thankfully for Chelsea.

19.41 Four minutes of added time left for Chelsea to pretend that they care.

19.39 Lampard has a shot. His first of the game. It's wide. In case my increasingly distressed updates didn't illustrate it, here's an actual fact from our friends at Opta which show you how poor Chelsea have been this evening:

19.35 Not a bad effort from Luiz from the free kick, dipping, but just over the bar.

19.34 Marin, on for the woeful Hazard, gets his head down and runs with intent at the Steaua defence. That is a lot more like it. Whatever it is. Results in a Chelsea corner, and soon afterwards they win themselves a free kick 30 yards out. Is this the fillip?

19.32 Mikel somewhat fortunate not to receive his second yellow card for a barde on Rusescu. I'd like to invite you all to alter this image in a way that explains what's on Rafa Benítez's mind:

19.30 Come on Chelsea, do something, this is appalling.

19.26 There's so little worthy of comment going on here. Chelsea have seemingly taken my thinking re: Newcastle earlier, that a 1-0 away defeat this evening is not a disastrous result, and decided to put it into practice.

19.23 This game is drifting away towards meaninglessness. Crowd, still reasonably raucous, is getting quieter. Chelsea mostly on the ball but doing more or less nothing with it.

19.20 Craig Burley, already simmering with fury, is now approaching Roy Keane levels of anger about Chelsea's performance in this game. He's within his rights. Steaua are utterly ordinary but Chelsea can't string the necessary four passes together that would be required to cut open the Romanians.

19.16 Mata's on for Benayoun for Chelsea.

19.15 In one of this evening's more exciting developments, it appears that Frank Lampard has become a cyborg of some variety, no doubt to guarantee a further five years at Chelsea:

Ot it's that laser pen... Whatever. I like more explanation more, frankly.

19.12 Chelsea failing to repsond appropriately to the rhythm of this game. Striking how little urgency they're exhibiting. It's a bit like they're not responding to their manager. Shock horror, eh?

19.08 Some really ragged defending from Chelsa, who can't get it clear from around the edge of their box, and don't seem to possess the effort levels for ensuring that they do. In the end it falls for Tanase who cracks a powerful shot at goal. Just wide.

19.05 Atmosphere in Romania is banging. More than 50,000 inside the stadium and it couldn't be more of a contrast to the Anzhi game earlier. It turns out that playing your games in the city you're from has a positive impact on the amount of people that show up to cheer on the team...

19.03 Terry takes a boot in the head after a rubbish challenge from Pintilii. The Steaua player is booked.

18.49 Great night's work for Alan Pardew's side. A nearly impeccable defensive performance from them, just a shame Hatem Ben Arfa couldn't make the most of a decent chance midway through the second half. They came for the draw, the saw the draw, they conquered the draw. Now they're going to conquer a nice warm bath then a big coat. I'll be back with you for the start of the second half of Steaua v Chelsea.

FULL TIME Anzhi 0 Newcastle 0

18.46 We'll have three minutes of added time in the Newcastle game. Even if Anzhi were to score now it would still have been a pretty good night for the Toon chaps.

18.44 Two minutes left in Moscow. Anzhi on the ball, but Newcastle looking untroubled. The tiny crowd have now settled on sub-Sunday League noise levels.

HALF TIME Steaua 1 Chelsea 0

18.41 Torres with a reasonable snap shot from inside the box on the right-hand side . Tatarusanu again saves at the expense of a corner. Chelsea again do little with it. Steaua break but Ivanovic is back to sort things out.

18.40 Some rotten football from Chelsea thus far, Hazard the latest culprit, his weak touch taking the ball over the byline for a Steaua goal kick when he looked in promising dribbling range. It's not been a great game in Romania, as demonstrated by this from our friends at Opta:

<noframe>Twitter: OptaJoe - 1 - Raul Rusescu's penalty goal against Chelsea was the first shot on target of the game, coming in the 34th minute. Cagey.</noframe>

18.38 More ineffective corner-taking from Chelsea.

18.37 Craig Burley is having a right go at Chelsea on ESPN. He sees parallels in tonight's showing thus far to Chelsea's game against Sparta Prague in the last game, criticising them for making an average team look better than they are due to a lack of pressing and attacking intent. Hard to disagree with him. But here's Benayoun on the end of a lovely one-two with Oscar... Wonderful sav by Tatarusanu! Palms it round the post for a Chelsea corner.

18.34 Samuel Eto'o shoots from a free kick from 30 yards for Anzhi. It's well over. 12 minutes of normal time left for Newcastle to see out a very laudable night's work. Here are both team's managers enjoying a tender moment:

18.32 GOAL!! Steaua 1 Chelsea 0 (Rusescu) Cech guesses the right way, low to his right, but there's too much on the strike by Rusescu and at last we have this evening's first goal!

18.31 PENALTY TO STEAUA! Bertrand is booked for pulling backRusescu in the box. It's a bit soft.

18.31 More laserpen japes in Buicharest, Lampard the target now as he prepares to take a Chelsea corner. They're always green, aren't they? It was a red-dominated market in my day. Anyway, Lampard doesn't make a total hash of the set piece but it's easily cleared.

18.29 It's calmed down massively in Bucharest after a frantic start. Steaua still seeing more of the ball than Chelsea, but Rafa Benítez's interim side have plugged the gaps that were present at the begging of the game. Shame, really. I'd love to see a goal.

18.25 The Anzhi-Newcastle game is looking a whole lot more lively now. Both teams opening up more and it's fairly end-to-end. Elliot is off his line in a hurry to reach Traore, who looked close to latching on to a hopeful pass forward which had the Newcastle defence stranded.

18.22 Chelsea looking a little more threatening now, they've had a number of free kicks and corners in fairly quick succession. Here's post-West Ham loanee Yossi Benayoun enjoying a rare start for the visitors in Bucharest:

18.18 Newcastle with a fairly good chance of their own! Cabaye tries to dink the ball over Gabulov after being put through in the box after some Anzhi confusion in defence but it's well saved. In Bucharest Daid Luiz, contending with a pesky laser pen, puts a free kick into the box from deep on the left-hand side. It's headed away.

18.15 Best chance of the game for Anzhi! Newcastle beginning to look a little leggy, and are nearly undone a couple of times in a flowing Anzhi passing move. They do enough to prevent a clear chance, but a clerance falls for Eto'o on the edge of the box and Elliot does well to react in time to turn it round the post.

18.12 Minor shout for a penalty against Newcastle, as Zhirkov's cross from the left hits Danny Simpson at around elbow-height. No chance.

18.10 Another Steaua corner for Chelsea to defend, which they do, acceptably. Here's Sam Graham with his answer to the question posed above:

"Willy's Bar" in my village in Spain (Real Madrid supporters gather there for the big matches). My favourite place? Bar El Choba, also in my village. They support Barca.

18.08 Chelsea coming into their game a little more now, but still looking more like an away side than they might have expected to. Still all Anzhi in Moscow, but they're also still displaying the poor composure in attacking positions which mean that Newcastle aren't experiencing many close shaves.

18.06 Henry Winter is on hand at White Hart Lane for this evening's third game:

18.03 Ryan Bertrand's down after an uncomfortable block from a Steaua corner that was taken short before being crossed further into the box. Chelsea clear the danger, but they're still the team doing all the defending. Much the same for Newcastle, for whom the second half has begun much as the first ended.

18.00 Steaua have started well in front of a noisy crowd. Chelsea not allowed to get a foothold yet. Newcastle back under way against Anzhi. Here's Rob Elliot claiming a high ball in not-sunny Moscow:

17.58 We're off in Romania, where Steaua have a corner already. Newcastle and Anzhi filing out for the second half in Russia.

17.45 Deadly dull game. Newcastle doing enough to keep it tight and limit Anzhi's chances. The Russians look tidy but not massively bothered about forcing the issue. Things can only get better, largely because we're going to have two football matches happening simultaneously in 15 minutes time.

HALF TIMEAnzhi Makhachkala 0 Newcastle 0

17.43 We're going to have one added minute in Russia.

17.41 A glimpse of something vaguely promising for NewcastleL it's a corner on the lef-thand side. Ben Arfa takes, Traore heads it away.

17.37 The game's first notable shot! Eto'o drifts into space 30 yards out. Powerful shot, which Elliot parries, and it just about drops the right side of the crossbar (from Newcastle's point of view). Nothing doing from the corner.

17.35 Anzhi looking very classy indeed. Jucilei, Ahmedov and Shatov catching the eye especially. But it's an odd game to watch, given how flat the atmosphere is. Newcastle are seeing very little of the ball, but also keeping their shape reasonably well. They've come for a draw this evening.

17.32 Worrying moment for Elliot who has to kick away under pressure after Anzhi up the tempo once again to get it into the box. Anita's booked soon afterwards for tug on Ahmedov, who had managed to get past him close to the touchline. Anzhi do little with the free kick.

17.29 Paul Kelso is in Romania for us this evening, a place where they give the Europa League the respect it d-e-s-e-r-v-e(s)*:

<noframe>Twitter: Paul Kelso - Not fussed about the Europa League? Not in Bucharest. Stadium 1/3 full, Chelsea jeered and whistled, and this is just the warm-up <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=CFC" target="_blank">#CFC</a></noframe>

* 10 points to anyone who spots the mid-90s musical reference.

17.27 It's taken short, but Eto'o soon wins it from a lax Anita. The Cameroon striker runs at Haidara and tries to poke it past him. He wants a handball decision against the Newcastle defender. He gets nothing of the sort.

17.26 Anzhi looking a bit less cocksure without the option of Willian as an attacking outlet. Newcastle still yet to register anything that could even be convincingly described as a shot to a blind person. They do have a corner, though.

17.23 Here are Willian and James Perch desperately trying to keep warm:

17.20 Newcastle being edged out of this a little now, with Jucilei nipping in to dispossess Ben Arfa with a little too much ease. Traore has come on for the injured Willian.

17.17 Shatov takes this one, Cabaye and Marveaux combine to get it away.

17.16 Willian, who's looked dangerous so far, is struggling a little after catching his foot on the artificial turf after taking a corner. Cabaye cleared the danger, Willian's still receiving treatment over the touchline as Anzhi prepare to take another corner.

17.13 It's taken nearly 15 minutes, but there's the first hint that this game will become anything other than a torpid, cagey possession-keeping affair. Shatov is suddenly able to run at Simpson on the left-hand side. Some neat Anzhi passing gave him the chance. He crossed towards Willian in the middle but Yanga-Mbiwa was able to get there first for Newcastle.

17.10 Some more from Luke Edwards:

<noframe>Twitter: Luke Edwards - Man points to Sissoko who is the only <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=nufc" target="_blank">#nufc</a> player not wearing tights. Good start by away team, Anzhi have hardly touched the ball</noframe>

17.06 Willian punts it into the box and it's easy for Newcastle to clear.

17.05 A strong feeling that this brilliant Europa League round of 16 game might play out more like an unbrilliant Europa League group stage game. Little urgency from either team yet, but Eto'o wins a free kick wide on the left.

17.02 ITV's commentators as confused Newcastle's seemingly strikerless formation as Luke and his buddies in the sub-zerio press box. Looks like Ben Arfa is the nominal front man for the time being. Pace is slow, Newcastle mainly on the ball.

16.59 Newcastle kick us off.

16.58 Crikey, there really is a very small number of people inside this stadium. Hardly surprising, given how far the ground is from both teams' home.

16.53 Our man Luke Edwards is actually IN Moscow tonight. Pity him:

Only minus four at the moment! Toasty. Could be minus 13 by end of the game

He's been joined, not in the press box, mind, by a grand total of 72 Newcastle supporters.

16.45 It's time for this evening's first pertinent statistical tweet from our friends at Opta:

<noframe>Twitter: OptaJoe - 4 - Newcastle have lost only four of their 42 European games since September 2003 (W29, D9). Continental.</noframe>

16.35 Here's the venue for tonight's first game:

It's the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, just the 1,000 miles from downtown Makhachkala.

16.21 The eagle-eyed among you may have notived that Newcastle are playing without a recognised centre forward tonight. Much excited talk of a false nine being employed by Alan Pardew! Her's our man in the north Luke Edwards speculating on tonight's formation:

<noframe>Twitter: Luke Edwards - None of us are entirely sure but I would guess Sissoko will be the closest to a centre-forward with Ben Arfa and Marveaux either side <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=nufc" target="_blank">#nufc</a></noframe>

16.15 Some early team news: Hatem Ben Arfa is back in the Newcastle team nearly three months out with a torn hamstring. That Samuel Eto'o starts for Anzhi.

16.00 Afternoon liveblog fans.

After 27 long months, we are at last reaching the business end of this season's Europa League.

I've spoken at length this season to largely uninterested audiences about the excellence of this competition.

There's the novelty of tiny teams from mid-sized countries in the early rounds and group stage, then the faded glamour of clubs like Lyon, Ajax and Napoli as we reach the knockout section.

We're now at the point where the selection of games is legitimately attractive to people other than me, who would probably have watched the first qualifying round between Estonia's Narva Trans and Azerbaijan's Inter Baku, if anyone was showing it. It finished 7-0 on aggregate to Inter, by the way.

The somewhat more renowned Inter form half of this evening's obvious centrepiece, with Andrea Stramaccioni's (no, me neither) Internazionale taking their bow in front of the low-angled European camera of White Hart Lane at eight.

Before then we've got the absolute treat of Newcastle's visit to decidedly rich Anzhi Makhachkala, then Chelsea's trip to Romania to take on the conquerors of Ajax in the previous round.

If you need motivating for this liveblog, then you should probably just give up on the Europa League now.

...no, wait! Where are you going? It's going to be brilliant, I promise!

Team news and more arguments as to why this is a far better competition than anything other than the Championship play-offs to follow.